Tuesday 30 July 2013

Couture Corner: The epitome of Italian luxury goods

Italian luxury goods brand Salvatore Ferragamo came to an existence in the 1920’s as an only shoe making brand. The man who started what would be a successful fashion company, Salvatore Ferragamo, worked with Hollywood stars such as Eva Peron, Mary Pickard and Douglas Fairbanks who wore the gold Aladdin-lamp slippers. 

First Salvatore Ferragamo wedge


Creativity allowed the Italian shoe maker to explore with science and inventing wedge heels and cage heels. Even to date the brands collections are still associated with top Hollywood celebrates and is also worn across the globe. Since the birth of the brand it has evolved into a luxury goods empire influencing the fashion industry.

When markets crashed in the 1930’sGreat Depression the company felt the pinch with American orders decreasing and Salvatore Ferragamo declared bankruptcy. Picking up the pieces, the brand turned its focal point on the Italian market. After surviving the activities of the 30’s and 40’s growth followed the fashion house and the Ferragamo began to taste the rewards all due to his hard work and dedication.

Flagship Store in the Italian city of Florence

A Salvatore Ferragamo suit for men


Even after the death of its “command-in-chief”in August of 1960, the label thrived and entered a new era without the man who started the journey. 

Salvatore Ferragamo stands for sophistication and over the years has seen the label debut awesome collections for both women and men at some of the world’s grandest fashion events in style- centric cities such as Paris, Milan, New York and London to mention a couple.

the upper echelons at Salvatore Ferragamo one what it takes to mesmerize and dazzle fashionista’s, but if there is one thing the Florence based luxury goods company can be proud of is its continual classy style of craftsmanship.

Ashley Mokwena
@ashfonik

Monday 29 July 2013

New Albums to check out




Artist: Jay-Z
Album title: Magna Carta… Holy Grail
Genre: Hip Hop
Track to listen to: “Picasso Baby”


Artist: The Rolling Stones
Album title: Hyde Park Live
Genre: Classic Rock
Track to listen to: “Brown Sugar”




Artist: James Brown
Album title: You’ve got the Power 1956 - 1962
Genre: Jazz Soul
Tracks to listen to:“Come Over Here”
Da Stitch
Twitter: @DaStitchBlog
               

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Tech Bite: A golden-gate for small businesses to raise funds


Many young African entrepreneurs fall victim to giving up on their businesses or ideas which could potentially see the continent economically transform due to a lack of capital or acquiring investment. A perfect example is a friend of mine who grow tired of being an informal trader, selling counterfeit DVD’s on the ever busy streets of Johannesburg. 

What my friend Thabo Nonyane ever wanted was to become an entrepreneur and not being educated and without business knowledge to turn idea into a success, he gave up on what he once believed in.
The great creation of the internet has over the past decade given birth to too many global trends and has made communication relatively easy. The story of my friend who gave up on his formal business idea led me to research on a great way of acquiring funding using the internet through crowd-funding.

Crowd-funding is a collective effort of individuals who network and put their money using the internet to give support to business start-ups, non-profit organisations or funding a cause.Instead of rushing off to a financial institution for back up, many young driven entrepreneurs and inventors across the globe with a multi-billion idea have resorted to Crowd-funding. Two South African entrepreneurs Jaco Kruger and Jean Van Der Merwe, co-founders of Chrome Cherry Design Studios in Cape Town used Crowd-funding to acquire investment for their business which invented a trike that teaches kids to ride a bike and also assist with developing gross motor skills.


 the co-founders of Chrome Cherry Design Studios, Jean Van Der Merwe and Jaco Kruger

Computer publication PC World reported on its online publication that Mark Shuttleworth’s company Canonical aim to merge the desktop computer and mobile device into a smartphone device which is to join the dodge smartphone market in May of 2014. The company will use crowd-funding to get the device off the ground with the aim to get a funding of $32 million (R320 million), talk of AMBITION.

Like many other entrepreneurs with innovative ideas, Mark Shuttleworth is using the trend to land up capital to fund an idea, a route my friend could have utilized to further his business had he didn’t give up.

Non-banks are gaining momentum globally as banks have increased interest rates or pull back from lending to small businesses. Off course like any other banking or business funding system crowd-funding has its own Pros and Cons, but no matter the reason funding shouldn’t be the main reason why future Mark Shuttleworthsdo not emerge for any corner of the globe.

Ashley Mokwena
@ashfonik

Monday 22 July 2013

STER-KINEKOR’S “GIRLFRIENDS GETAWAY” PRESENTS GROWN UPS 2



 Enjoy a special night out with the girls and laugh the night away!

 
Are you a grown up, with children, responsibilities and not enough time for yourself?  If so, this month’s  Ster-Kinekor ‘Girlfriends Getaway’ event has the perfect movie to help you come to terms with the stresses of everyday  life! Grab your girlfriends, sisters and moms, and head to your nearest Ster-Kinekor theatre for a well-deserved girls’ night out.  Enjoy an evening of laughter and fun, as you are entertained with a special sneak preview of Grown Ups 2 on Wednesday, 24 July from 19:00. 

In this follow up to the hilarious first movie, a group of childhood friends reunite for another "grown up" adventure.  Hollywood agent Lenny Feder (Adam Sandler) has moved his family from the big city to his quiet home town, where he and his four best friends—Eric Lamonsoff (Kevin James), Marcus Higgins (David Spade), Kurt McKenzie(Chris Rock) and Rob Hilliard (Rob Schneider)—grew up. The tides have turned however, and now, on the last day of school, it's up to the children to teach their parents some lessons...

 Grown Ups 2 releases to the public at Ster-Kinekor theatres countrywide on Friday, 09 August.

 To be a part of the antics, don’t miss this month’s ‘Girlfriends Getaway’ event, taking place at the following select Ster-Kinekor cinemas on Wednesday, 24 July from 19:00:

WESTERN CAPE:

Cape Gate | Cavendish | Somerset | Tygervalley

EASTERN CAPE:

The Bridge

GAUTENG:

The Zone | Sandton | Cresta | Northgate | Greenstone | Brooklyn | Irene

KWAZULU-NATAL:

Gateway  

NORTH WEST:

Waterfall Mall – Rustenburg

To make your evening out with the girls on 24 July even more special, there will be lucky draws, hampers and goodie bags for all our ‘girlfriends’.  Expect a little treat courtesy of Destiny Magazine, Fifth Avenue Collection, Unilever –Clear, Exclamation perfume, Vinolia, Satiskin, Beacon , Yardley, Mangwanani Spa and The Diet everyone Talks about*.  (*Note: hampers and goodie bag contents may vary from cinema to cinema.)  Remember, with ‘Girlfriends Getaway’, no guys are allowed!

 
To find out more, visit www.sterkinekor.com. Avoid the queues by booking online, by calling Ticketline on 082 16789 or you can book at the box office.  You can also secure your seats by downloading the Nokia, Samsung Android, iPhone and Blackberry apps to book from your mobile.  To find out what other exciting promotions Ster-Kinekor has on offer, follow @SKTheatres on Twitter or Facebook at Ster-Kinekor Theatres.

 

Beat Box: Music to the ear


Some of my early mornings be it whether I work out, reading the newspaper or surfing the internet are ruled by sensational soulful and jazzy voices of fabulous female singers who through their artistry have shared messages beautifully. Some of the voices are that of the likes of Nigerian born Sade, Ivorian French based singer Fatoumata Diawara, South African songstress Lira and American singer/poet Jill Scott to name drop a few.

The music from the mentioned ladies possesses a certain level of energy that I cannot come to describe and a positive message of encouragement. Take for instance Jill Scott’s song “Do You Remember” that takes you back to the fun and troubling moments that define the beauty of a relationship between a man and a woman.
 
 
Ever since the Philadelphia born singer Jill Scott was given a platform to share her talents with the world by Amir “Questlove” Thompson, drummer and producer of hip hop band The Roots, Scott has never fallen short of giving her best and sharing her experience in the game of love. Her first album which was released in the year 2000 “Who is Jill Scott: Words and Sounds Volume 1” reached multi-platinum status and gifted the singer/songwriter with an opportunity to spread her beautiful voice to a global ear.

Another woman who has touched my music soul and convinced my ear is Nigerian born and British based soulful jazz and “Smooth Operator” singer Sade. Her successful solo career has seen her produce numerous songs and collaborated with some of the world’s legendary acts which led to her receiving an O.B.E from Prince Charles for her contribution in music. From the 1980’s to present day, Sade still is a force and a highly rated musician.

Miss Lira, the darling of South African music is the other lady whose beautiful soft voice has earned much attention of my ear. Its songs such as “Phakade”, “Raise again” and “Mali” that has given the star status as one of the top female artist to emerge from Africa. The Daveyton born singer is an inspirational and influential human-being with a voice that has ignited many women across the global with a certain spirit a modern woman requires to face the challenges of life.  Lira is an award winning muso and proper a career highlight for her was when she performed at the Obama couple   Inauguration Ball celebrating the re-election of US President Barack Obama.

What these fabulous voices have in common is the talent of telling a story that resonates with all.

Ashley Mokwena

Twitter: @ashfonik     

    

 

Tuesday 16 July 2013

Stand a chance to win tickets to the exclusive Ster-Kinekor premiere of PACIFIC RIM




With an alien attack threatening Earth’s existence, giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace. This larger-than-life action thriller is directed by Guillermo del Toro
The evening will be enjoyed with snacks and drinks as well as popcorn and soft drinks. 

*NB! Kindly Note that this is a closed screening to members of the media and competition winners only.

Date: Wednesday July 24
Time: 19:00 for 20:00
Venue: Ster-KinekorSterland, Pretoria


Monday 15 July 2013

Sounds of the moment




“Beautiful” – Mariah Carey ft. Miguel


“Gees” – Mac Miller ft. SchoolBoy Q


“Holy Grail” – Jay-Z ft. Justin Timberlake


“Hold my liquor” – Kanye West
Twitter: @DaStitchBlog